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A poem and payer was led by John Hauselman and Second World War survivor Harry Hemming shared memoirs of the bombings. Fellow survivor Doreen Williams laid a wreath next to the memorial plaque.

Harry Hemming

Alongside the deaths, 19,000 buildings were destroyed as the city centre took a beating from German bombers during the air raids on the nights of April 25 and 26 1942.

Repair and redevelopment over the years has ultimately cleared Bath of its war scars.

Speaking after the service Mr Vowles said: "We still have the website to continue so we will work at it over the years.

"It takes a lot to do this but its the crowds of people who gather. They are the real survivors and real family people."

Some of the crowd at the Victoria Park memorial gathering

Chippenham siblings Peter Knight and Cynthia Holbrow were seven and nine years old at the time of the bombings. They lived at 42 Second Avenue in Oldfield Park which was completely destroyed on the second night of strikes.

The family moved to Bath from Swansea as it was deemed a safer place to be, according to their father.

Peter said: "I remember being trapped under the stairs. I remember my father couldn't open the cupboard under the stairs where we were hiding. The wardens came to get us out. But we didn't really understand it."